A man previously jailed for making explosives kept a stun gun on a shelf in his living room, a court heard.

Martin Counsell, 57, of Brooklyn Road, Cheltenham was arrested following a tip-off that he was back to his old tricks which saw him locked up for two and half years in 2012.

Martin Counsell

Officers attended his home near the King George V playing field, which has a special area for toddlers, to execute a warrant on November 3.

After they arrived, three properties were evacuated and Mr Counsell was arrested and later charged.

He appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court today and pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid or gas/electrical incapacitation device and the possession of a firearm, when prohibited for five years.